The present invention relates to devices for mechanically mounting and mating printed circuit boards and header terminated cables to their connectors.
Electronic systems oftentimes use a number of printed circuit boards that are plugged into a motherboard in spaced parallel positions. Typically, the motherboard is provided with a series of spaced headers and each printed circuit board is provided with a connector on one edge for insertion into its header. In most systems, guides are provided to assist in aligning and guiding the printed circuit board into its header to prevent a mis-mated condition. In card-cage type systems, the guides are designed as part of the enclosure and represent an increment of cost and design complexity. While motherboards can be designed without guideways, the probability of a mis-mated condition increases, particularly in those bus systems that use printed circuit cards having different length edge connectors, i.e., systems that use full-length and half-length printed circuit cards. It is also known to plug connector terminated cables, typically ribbon cables, into the header to effect connection between various circuits. Oftentimes, the connector has a length less than that of its connector and guides or keys must be provided to assure that the connector is mated with the proper portion of the pin field. While various type of guides are known, the oftentime add to the design complexity and cost of the overall system.